1970 Rewa–Suva by-election explained

Country:Fiji
Type:gubernatorial
Ongoing:no
Election Date:December 1970
Candidate1:Uraia Koroi
Party1:Alliance Party (Fiji)
Popular Vote1:2,197
Percentage1:54.07%
Candidate2:Mosese Tuisawau
Party2:National Federation Party
Popular Vote2:1,637
Percentage2:40.29%
Image3:3x4.svg
Candidate3:Taniela Vitata
Party3:NLP
Popular Vote3:229
Percentage3:5.64%
MP
Before Election:Alipate Sikivou
Before Party:Alliance Party (Fiji)
After Election:Uraia Koroi
After Party:Alliance Party (Fiji)

A by-election for the Rewa–Suva seat in the House of Representatives of Fiji was held in December 1970 following the death of incumbent MP Alipate Sikivou in September 1970. The result was a victory for Uraia Koroi of the Alliance Party.

Background

In the 1966 elections, the seat had been won by Alliance Party candidate Alipate Sikivou with 4,427 of the 7,474 valid votes (59.2%). Jone Cure Mataitini, an independent, finished second with 1,779 votes, whilst another independent candidate, Noa Niubalavu Nawalowalo, received 1,268 votes to finish third.[1]

Candidates

Three candidates contested the elections; Uraia Koroi, a programme organiser for Fijian language broadcasts at Radio Fiji, was the Alliance Party candidate. Ratu Mosese Varesekete Tuisawau, a brother in-law of Prime Minister Kamisese Mara, contested the elections on behalf of the National Federation Party, the first Fijian to contest the election on behalf of the party. The third candidate was Taniela Vitata, leader of the Dockworker and Seamen's Union, who ran on behalf of the National Liberal Party.[2]

Campaign

Unusually, the chief-oriented Alliance Party had a commoner as its candidate, whilst the Indo-Fijian dominated National Federation Party had a Fijian chief.[3] Tuisawau received the backing of a leading Rewan chief, Senator Jone Mataitini,[2] but was strongly opposed by the Fiji Times.[3] During the campaign Tuisawau was involved in a fight with the editor of the Na Tovata newspaper of the Alliance Party.[3] He received strong support in Rewa, but very little in Suva.[3]

Results

Vitata lost his $100 deposit after receiving less than 10% of the vote.[2] Voter turnout was just under 40%.[3]

Notes and References

  1. https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-331795230/view?partId=nla.obj-331929900#page/n41/mode/1up Fiji election details
  2. https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-332065954/view?partId=nla.obj-332070110#page/n28/mode/1up The high cost of independence
  3. World Review, Volumes 8-10, pp34–35